To Wound a Mockingbird
by cuppycakes123
Summary: Boo Radley was always a mystery to Scout and Jem. Was he a madmen or just a poor soul who only wanted to be loved? Scout never figured that out until Boo attempted to rescue them from Bob Ewell. However, with Boo wounded and staying at the Finches, and Ewell still free. Things have just gotten a lot more complicated for our heroine.


**A/N: I just finished TKaMB for school and now I understand why people call this one of the best books ever written. Everything about this book is perfection, and no fan fiction could ever do this good book justice. I honestly don't even feel worthy to be writing a fanfic for this masterpiece, but here I am. I always wanted to know what could've happened if something went wrong when Boo saved the children. So, this story came up in my mind while I was doing my English homework. I'm no Harper Lee, but I hope this is a decent alternate story to this literature masterpiece. **

**To Wound a Mockingbird**

**Prologue **

Near death experiences are quite a strange topic, aren't they? To think that there are moments in your life in which you could've simply perished, but for some reason you're still here is quite strange. It's almost as if you're being watched by a guardian angel. Even though you can't see them or feel them; they're there. They never make their presence known because you don't need them. You're usually never in a life or death scenario in which they have to show up to protect you. I have been lucky to only suffer from few near death experiences so far in my thirty-three years on Earth. I remember when I nearly got into a car accident in 1953, or the time I accidentally set the house on fire while I was cooking (My husband never let's that go. Tells the entire town I'm the only woman who can't cook for a damn, but that's another story for another day…). However, there was one experience I will never forget. The time I met my guardian angel, and the time I almost lost him the same night.

It's funny when I think back on that Halloween night of 1935. It seemed like any other Halloween in Maycomb, Alabama. We had the same school pageant, most of us wore the same costumes, and everyone would tell their ghost stories of the Radley house. I remember I was the ham that year for the pageant. The costume was clunky, and I needed to be guided by my brother, so I wouldn't fall flat on my face. It was probably quite a sight to see little eight year old me bumping into everything while dressed as a gigantic ham. I remember cursing that costume, but little did I know that costume would probably be the reason I'm still on this Earth.

After the pageant, my brother Jem and I were making our way back to our house. I could remember hearing leaves being crunched, but I thought nothing of it. Probably just Cecil Jacobs trying to spook us, and I definitely wasn't falling for that again. However, the look on Jem's face worried me as he told me to walk faster.

"Jean Louise," I remember him saying in a hushed whisper. "Ya gotta keep movin'!" I don't think the boy knew how hard that was. I could barely stand upright, what made him think I could do a full on sprint to our house? Jem put his arm around me and began to attempt to guide me. His concern was definitely starting to get under my skin. Jem was never really worried like this, so something was very wrong.

"I don't understand what you're so worried about, Jem." I said to try to quell my fears. I slowly turned around to see the woods behind us, we were starting to get near the Radley house. Jem was getting more anxious by the second as the rustling began to get louder and louder. All of a sudden, he halted and the noises quickly stopped as well.

"Every time we stop, so do those noises. Scout, I think we're being followed…" Jem said as he looked around frantically. I couldn't deny that I was starting to get nervous by his reactions. Halloween was probably just starting to get to him, like it did every year. Cecil Jacobs was probably getting ready to scare us, just like he did on the walk to the pageant. I could feel the anger boil up and make me start to heat up in my ham costume. Cecil Jacobs was not going to get us this time! I would call him out right there and then, that way Jem would calm down.

"Halloween is just startin' to get to ya." I replied nonchalantly, so I could make myself seem like the reasonable one. "Probably just Cecil Jacobs tryin' to get the jump on us!" I slowly began to turn around at the darkness and trees behind us. Cecil was out there, and I was going to get him out. "Cecil Jacobs is a big wet hen!" I felt quite proud of myself at that insult, but there was no response. Cecil never came out, and the rustling just grew louder. Jem began to walk faster and I could barely keep up with him.

"C'mon," he said nervously. "We gotta get home, now!" We walked by the Radley house, and Jem would look back every couple of seconds. My feet began to hurt due to walking too much, which made me pause for a quick breather. I rolled my eyes when Jem began to get more impatient and was practically getting ready to drag me.

"Jem, if I could whack you right now I would-" It was the only thing I could say before I heard it. The most spine chilling, haunting moan I have ever heard in my life. I could see Jem look to the right in horror before I was knocked to the ground by something. I could hear Jem try to scream and fight whatever was attacking him, but I couldn't get up to help. We were helpless, and there was nobody to save us. After a few seconds, Jem went silent and I could hear his body crash to the ground with a sickening thud. I could hear the man get closer to me, and soon I was being lifted up by him. I could see in his hand was a knife, but that was the only thing I could get out. That hand was use that knife to slit my throat, and then I was going to die. I would never get to say goodbye to Atticus or marry Dill like he promised. I felt the tears begin to fill my eyes as the knife began to slide across my costume, but it never worked. Whatever it was made of was too thick for the weapon to get through.

Sadly, human skin is not too thick for a knife. I got to see a stab wound for the first time that night, and I never want to see one again. The man that was trying to kill me pushed me to the ground and turned his attention to something else. I could hear wrestling and grunts from now two men. I was praying it was Atticus coming to Jem and I's rescue, until I heard the scream. That loud, pained scream from someone I had never heard before. I closed my eyes and began to quietly sob out of fear.

"Holy shit…" The victor of the tussle muttered. I recognized that voice as the devil himself, Bob Ewell. He was going to kill me, but why? It was Atticus' fault his reputation was ruined, not ours. Who could be so cowardly to hurt children instead of someone his own size? "Looks like Boo Radley finally decided to come back for a fight." I froze at that moment as he muttered those words. Boo Radley…had tried to save us. Hell, he probably did save my life from Ewell, but that meant he was hurt. He must've been hurt real bad if he was the one who screamed.

I could hear Bob run off into the darkness of the night and wheezing, but I didn't actually move until a few minutes afterwards. I was just too terrified he would come back to finish the deed. I knew that I was the only one who could get help, and that I needed to work fast because Jem and Boo could die while I was gone. I had no idea how Jem was, but Boo was definitely going to die if I didn't get somebody soon. I tried to roll around for at least a couple minutes before I attempted to sit up. I guess pure adrenaline kicked in at that point because the next thing I knew I was on my feet running like a maniac back to my house. I tripped a couple times on my way, but that was understandable, I was in a giant ham costume.

I'll never forget when I stumbled up the steps of the porch and literally bursted into the house. I remember knocking a few things down as I ran in screaming for Atticus. My Aunt Alexandra was sitting on the couch listening to the radio, and was quite angry I was distracting her. I remember her shutting the radio off, and was damn well ready to give me a lecture on how I was being 'unladylike.'

"Jean Louise Finch, it is not proper of a young lady to be running around in the house-" I ignored her as I began to sob for my father. I think at that moment she knew something was wrong…very wrong. Atticus stormed down the steps in a panic, and I was immediately swarmed with questions. He told Aunt Alexandra to get the costume off of me, and I was free after a few minutes. "Atticus, there are knife marks on this costume!"

"Scout, what happened? Where's Jem?" My father asked in a panic, but I was honestly too shocked to say anything. I could barely get a sound out besides chocked sobs. Atticus told Aunt Alexandra to call for the doctor and sheriff, and to my surprise she ran to the phone. I'm not talking about a sprint here; she bolted to the phone as if her life depended on it. "Scout, please tell me what happened."

"I-I don't know much about what happened…" I managed to say as I clung onto my father like a lifeline. "We-We were walkin', and Jem started saying he heard noises. I-I thought it was just Cecil Jacobs because he scared us on the way here, so I called out to try to get him to come out. He never did, and Jem was startin' to get really scared. He kept on telling me to walk faster, but that was hard to do because I was in the costume, so he was getting really mad at me. Then, all of a sudden, while we taking a breather, we heard this moan. Next thing I know I'm on the ground and Jem's fighting someone-"

"Do you know who it was?" Atticus said as he looked up at me. I could see the fear in his eyes, and I knew this was serious. Atticus was almost never scared like this. "Do you know who was the one who attacked you two? You're not in trouble, Scout, but I need to know who tried to hurt you and Jem." I could feel my eyes being clouded by tears, and my lip began to quiver when I thought about my attacker.

"It-It was Bob Ewell." I never saw Atticus' eyes widen to that extreme before, and I never want to again. I could hear Aunt Alexandra gasp while she was on the phone, and my father began to shake with anger. He slowly stood up and grabbed his coat. I was honestly terrified, as Atticus was never this angry before.

"Scout, take me to where Jem is." Atticus demanded as he began to go for the door. He was already sprinting outside when I came out, and it was a tassel to follow him. Besides being middle-aged, I realized that night my father could be the fastest man in Maycomb if he needed to be. I caught up to him quickly though, and began to lead him to where Jem was. It didn't take long before we got there, and when we did, both my father and I froze. Atticus looked physically shaken at the sight before him, and I quickly hid behind his leg. I could honestly say that it was one of the most horrific sights in my life, and it still keeps me up at night.

Under the tree, where Jem had fallen was the palest, sickest looking man I had ever seen. His hair was so blond it looked white, and it was extremely thin, almost feather like. His skin was almost white as snow, which made the blood pouring out of his mouth even more startling. His clothes, which were white and tattered, was a dark red near his abdomen. He was protectively holding something large in his arms, in fact, he was almost laying on top of it. As if to protect it from anymore attacks from Bob Ewell, and that made me realize what the thing was. Boo Radley was protecting Jem incase Bob came back. Atticus came forward and kneeled down to the two, but they were both unconscious. The only thing to tell us they were alive was the rise and fall of their chests. However, Boo's was much more shaky then Jem's, which made me worried he was going to die right there.

"Atticus," I began nervously. "Is…Is Boo going to die?" My father sighed and shook his head with a disapproving look. He was trying to separate Boo from Jem, which was almost impossible to do. Besides his strong grip, if Atticus moved Boo anymore he would surely bleed out right there. I began praying that Mr. Tate and Dr. Reynolds would show up soon.

"Mr. Arthur, Scout," He corrected me quietly. I could hear sprinting, and in a matter of seconds, Mr. Tate and Dr. Reynolds were here. Atticus began to talk to them in a hushed manner, and all three of them would turn to Boo every couple seconds. Dr. Reynolds started giving instructions to us on what to do, and in a matter of seconds, we were running back to the house. I remember Atticus was holding Jem, while Dr. Reynolds and Mr. Tate were practically dragging Boo. They were going so fast, it was almost impossible now to catch up to them. The running from before definitely caught up to me, and I needed to stop to catch my breath.

When I finally staggered into the house I could see everyone running around quickly. Mr. Tate was sprinting upstairs with towels, while Aunt Alexandra followed him carrying bandages. I sat on the couch and closed my eyes, but before I could, I was dragged to the kitchen by Calpurnia. Her eyes were filled with concern and sorrow. I was quickly in her embrace, which was quite tight and almost suffocating.

"Oh, Scout!" She cried as she brushed my hair with her fingers. "Thank God you're okay!" I may have been okay physically, but I certainly didn't feel it mentally.

"Is Jem okay? What about Boo?" I asked frantically as I began to think about them. I began to cry again, and Calpurnia began to rock me lovingly. She was the closest thing I had to a mother at this point, but her gentle touch didn't make me feel any better. "Cal, are they okay? I'm beggin' you to tell me, please?"

"I-I don't know, baby girl." Cal began to sob, which made me even more anxious. "Your father won't let anybody past the bottom of the steps at this point. The only thing I saw was them carrying Jem and Arthur in, but they were up the steps so quickly, it was the only thing I got. Jem's arm was at such an awkward angle, though. It's definitely broken, but he was in no way near in the shape Arthur was, poor soul. He was bleeding all over the place when he got in here, and I thought he was already dead."

"So, Jem's okay?" I asked. Cal slowly nodded and brought me closer to her. I don't know how long we cried there, but it had to be over an hour at least. I remember Atticus finally coming into the kitchen sometime later with blood covering his hands and some of his suit. He looked so much older at that moment, as the wrinkles in his face seemed to be more noticeable. The dark circles under his eyes made them sink into his skull. He was a wreck, and that made me even more scared at that moment. Cal and I stopped crying and stared at him in shock for at least a minute before his hand began to rise.

"Jem's going to be fine." Atticus finally blurted out after a few minutes. Cal and I both sighed and cried in relief at the news, but my father's face was still very grim. Something was still very wrong to make my father so serious. Atticus walked over to the sink and washed the blood off his hands. He slowly looked up to the window and sighed. "But, Mr. Arthur is another story." I felt my heart drop to my stomach at that moment. My tears of joy soon turned into tears of sorrow, and I quickly ran into my father's embrace. I didn't care if I got Boo's blood on my clothes. He practically gave up his life for me, and I had hardly known him. Guilt became to consume me as I thought of the games Jem, Dill, and I would play over the summer about Boo. Making little stories about him portraying him as some kind of a monster, when all he wanted was someone to love him. He wasn't some mad man who ate squirrels, but a gentle soul… a guardian angel. And, not just any guardian angel, but mine and Jem's. I was about to lose my guardian angel the same night I had met him.

"No!" I sobbed as my father brought me closer to him. "God can't take Boo away! He just can't, Atticus!" I was surprised that Atticus never corrected me when I had called him Boo. Maybe it was because he was in too much shock himself to do so, or maybe he realized in my eyes it was an affectionate nickname. He simply sighed and rubbed my back.

"Scout," Atticus started softly. His voice was always so soothing when he tried to calm me down. "Mr. Arthur isn't going to die, but he's very hurt." A part of me was relieved, but still anxious. What did he mean Boo was very hurt? Would Mr. Radley come to get him, and I would never see him again? I barely got a good look at him in the first place, and I kind of wanted to go upstairs to sneak a peek at him. Boo would get better, right?

I turned to my father and I looked him straight in the eye. He brushed my bangs out of my face before rubbing his temples. "Is Mr. Radley goin' to get him then?" I asked with a frown. "Is he goin' to take him back to their house?" I could see Atticus' gaze lower to the ground, and he shook his head.

"Mr. Radley won't be able to bring him back to their house, Scout. Dr. Reynolds put stitches on Mr. Arthur, and if he moves too much they'll reopen." My father explained to me. "If they reopen he'll bleed out for sure, so I offered to let him stay with us. At least, until he gets better, then he can go back home. It's the least we could do for him since he saved your lives." I couldn't help but allow a tiny grin to escape. I wish Dill was there at that moment because I know he would be having a fit. In fact, he was when I told him a few years later about it. He was jealous he never got to see the elusive Boo Radley, but that's another story.

"So, we're going to help Boo get better?" I said quietly, and my smile began to grow wider. Atticus, however, didn't seem to be approving of my excitement. He sighed and gave me a serious look before standing up.

"Scout, while he's here don't bother him." Atticus said. "If he wants to be left alone then you'll respect his wishes. You must not tell a soul he's with us, Scout. You cannot tell your friends at school, or any of the adults." His tone was stern, and I knew there would be serious consequences if I told others. It wasn't the punishment I would be worried about, but the attention Boo and Atticus would get. It would be bad for my father if the town found out we were nursing the town madman back to health.

"I promise, Atticus." I said with a nod. His face began to lighten, and a small smile grew on his face. "Maybe Cal can fatten him up. It looks like he hasn't eaten a good meal in years, and she can definitely cook a great meal!" Atticus' smile turned into a chuckle, and even Cal was laughing at that comment.

"Oh, trust me," Calpurnia started with a grin. "That boy is going to look like a new man when I'm done with him!" All three of us laughed at that comment, and I was actually started to feel better. We could all make this work. Maybe, just maybe, Jem and I could help Boo come back into society. I knew it would be a lot of work, but I knew we could do it. We could help find him a nice lady friend, and then he could have a family. My father's face turned neutral when he heard Mr. Tate call for the both of us.

"Scout, we have to go to Mr. Tate, now." He said as he opened the door and led me out to the porch. I frowned and held his hand as we walked out together. I wanted to see Jem and Boo, but I knew that would have to wait. Mr. Tate needed to get Bob Ewell, and I was the only witness still conscious. I had no idea how much help I would be, but any information was probably important. I honestly wouldn't feel safe until he was rotting in a jail cell, especially after he hurt Jem and Boo. Mr. Tate motioned us to sit next him on the porch chair, and he quickly pulled out his notepad. I could see him beginning to scribble down words that I don't even think he could read.

"Ms. Finch," Mr. Tate started as he continued to write. "I want you to tell me everything that happened. You're the only one witness who's still awake, so anything you say is important for this investigation. We're gonna get that bastard, but we need your help." It felt weird to hear the sheriff he needed my help to solve this crime. Normally, I would be extremely boastful about something like this, but I was so shaken up by the event that I was silent. I wanted to go see Boo and Jem, I had to see with my own eyes if they were okay. "Ms. Finch?"

"Scout, you need to tell Mr. Tate what happened." Atticus said gently as my grip tightened on his arm. I could feel my eyes begin to blur with tears, and a tiny sob escaped my lips. My father looked up at the sheriff and sighed. "I think this is too much for her, Heck. Maybe we should try this again tomorrow morning, so we give her time to sleep it off."

"I understand, Atticus." Mr. Tate replied, and his notepad was put back in his pocket. He began to walk down the steps to his car. "I'm gonna try to look for Bob myself. We know it's him, and I'll try to find him. It ain't safe for y'all while he's still out here." He turned his head to me and smiled. "Don't ya worry, Ms. Finch. Ol' Bob Ewell ain't gonna hurt ya anymore, I promise." He waved at my father, and then left.

I leaned back on Atticus' shoulder and my eye lids began to get heavy. The toll of the events were finally catching up to me, and I was exhausted. I felt him pick me up and carry me into the house. He slowly walked upstairs, making sure not to cause any noises that could disturb Boo and Jem. My curiosity peaked as we made our way past Atticus' room. That's where Boo had to be while Dr. Reynolds was working on him. I craned my head to get another peek at him, but Atticus made sure the door was shut. I remember him saying later it was because Dr. Reynolds had stripped Boo of most of his clothes, and the last thing I needed to see was Boo naked. Jem's door was open by a sliver, but I could only see darkness.

Atticus gently laid me down on my bed and began to tuck me in. I was drifting in and out of consciousness at this point, so everything was a blur. I do remember his strong, large hands brush the bangs out of my face lovingly. He gently kissed my forehead before walking out. I could hear Dr. Reynolds run up to my father frantically, and they both began to run into his room. Before he left, however, he closed my door. I closed my eyes and allowed the darkness to whisk me away. Maybe, everything was a dream and when I woke up this nightmare would be over. It just didn't feel real.


End file.
